"We would be satisfied if we returned to normal in a year. But the real watershed will be the month of September: only then will we understand if we will return to a sort of normalcy". So said Angelo Palma, manager of the Conor company, which specializes in supplies for the out-of-home eating sector.
"As I had reported 4 months ago (see FreshPlaza of 19/03/2020), reprogramming was our salvation. We had to make drastic choices. For example, we allocated a part of the organic fruit and vegetables destined for the canteens to large retail chains, but we were forced to reclassify it as "normal". In practice, the consumers who purchased these products of ours have eaten organic at the price of the normal ones".
Angelo Palma.
According to the manager, right now we are living by the day, and only in September we will have a clear picture. "Talking to many customers I understood this massage: we cannot afford another total closure. Many companies, despite state aid such as the wage guarantee fund (CIG), have significant financial difficulties. We are fortunate to have solid foundations and more sales alternatives, otherwise we would have been in trouble".
Conor was the supplier of several cruise ships, a remarkable business that has been set to zero. "2020 can be considered closed on the cruise front. I don't think that, except in rare cases, something will move".
Even ready-to-eat fruit, a sector in which Agribologna, with the Fresco Senso brand, stands out, has had to stop. "Even though the sales of ready-to-eat fruit have suffered as much as those of vegetables - says the manager - we have not stopped and we have presented a novelty. It is an ecological packaging in recyclable cardboard, that replaces plastic. A gesture of confidence in the future and of the desire not to stop".
Contacts:
CONOR Srl
Via delle Viti, 5
40127 Bologna (BO)
Tel .: +39 051 994 1200
Fax: +39 051 994 1220
Email: info@conorsrl.it
Web: www.conorsrl.it